Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to help revitalise 100 towns in England with a huge injection of Government cash.

In a major speech in Manchester, the new PM said he wanted towns and coastal communities to share in the economic success of the south.

And his speech suggests major progress could be made in the Greater Grimsby Town deal which plans to regenerate large swatches of the town in a joint plan between Government, North East Lincolnshire Council and commercial partners.

He promised £3.6billion of Government cash to help kick-start transport, broadband, and “social and cultural infrastructure”. The comments reflect a recent announcement in Grimsby of a youth zone and University centre.

He also said local councils and communities would receive more powers along the lines of major city mayors so the “benefits of Brexit” were not retained “Smaug-like” in Westminster, a reference to the book and its film-adaptation The Hobbit where a dragon rests on a huge store of wealth.

This is what he said, in full, about the 100 town investment:

“Not everyone wants to live in our great cities. Too many places, towns and coastal communities don’t feel that they’re benefiting from the growth and dynamism that we’ve seen elsewhere in the UK economy. I reject the ridiculous idea that everybody should have it as their ambition to get on their bikes and move to the city.

“Our post-industrial towns have a proud, great heritage but an even greater future. Their best years lie ahead of them. We’re going to put proper money into the places that need it.

“We’ll start by ensuring there is investment from central government by bringing forward plans on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. And we’ll have growth deals as well for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. And we’re going to, now, a £3.6billion pound fund supporting an initial 100 towns so that they will get the improved transport and the improved broadband connectivity they need.

“And they will all also get help with that vital social and cultural infrastructure from libraries and arts centres to parks and youth services, the institutions that bring communities together that give places new energy and new life.

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Grimsby could benefit from the the new Government cash for 100 towns and coastal communities

“There is an even more radical shift that we need to make now to deliver and I have seen myself the changes that you can bring about in towns and cities and regions when local people have more of a say over their own destinies. I don’t think that when people of UK voted to take back control they did so for in order for that control to be hoarded Smaug like in Westminster.

“So we’re going to give greater powers to council leaders and to communities. We’re going to level up the powers offered to mayors so that more people can benefit from the kind of local government structures seen in London and here in Manchester.

“We’re going to give more communities a greater say over changes to transport, housing, public services and infrastructure that will benefit their areas and drive local growth. And in doing so we will see to it that every part of this country sees the benefits of the potential massive opportunity that will come from Brexit.

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivering his speech in Manchester in which he promised Government support for '100 towns and coastal communities' (Image: Getty Images / Rui Vieira)

“Over the last few years we’ve come to see Brexit as some impending adverse weather event. I campaigned to leave the EU because I believe it is a chance to change the direction of the UK and make us the best country in the world to live. And we should remind ourselves that leaving the EU is a massive economic opportunity to do things that we have not been allowed to do. To rid ourselves of bureaucratic red tape, to create jobs and to untangle the creativity and innovation for which Britain is famous.

“We don’t need to wait now to start preparing to seize the benefits. So we will begin right away to create the free ports that will generate thousands of highly skilled jobs and revitalise some of the poorest parts of our country."

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